costen



(No Model.)

S. B. OOSTBN. RACK 0B. STAND FOR HOLDING MANUSGRIPT OR OTHER MATTER TO BE GOP'IED.

INVENTOR.

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UNrrn ATENT tribe.

SAMUEL B. COSTEN, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO H. H- COSTON AND V. D. OOSTON, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

RACK OR STAND FOR HOLDING MANUSCRIPT OR OTHER MATTER TO BE COPIED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,045, dated December 7,1886.

Application filed April 19, 1886. Serial No. 199,378. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL B. Cos'rEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, Lackawanna county, Peni'isylvania, have invented an Improved Rack or Stand for Holding Manuscript or other Matter to be Copied, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a convenient and readily adjustable rack or T0 stand adapted to 'contain books, manuscript, or other printed or written matter which is to be copied by hand or on a writing-machine, or to be composed intype; and the broad idea of my invention is the provision ofa suitable standard, bracket, or other support adapted to sustain aglass-covered containing device or receptacle for the manuscript or book, which receptacle is arranged to be inclined, rotated. and adjusted at will, and contains a spririg-controlledmovable back board or follower adapted to press the matter to be copied, be its thickness what it may, forward against the glass or other transparent medium covering the case and retain it there in a fixed position.

In order to manufacture a stand ofthe foregoing general character in a convenient and simple manner, I have devised a construction of ,a character represented in the accompany 3o ing drawings, and described in this spccitication.

The particularsubject-matter which I claim as novel is hereinafter definitely specified.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front eleva- 33 tion of a frame embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the case with the cover removed and with the follower indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a side elevational detail to the scale of Fig. 3, the case being in section in the plane of the dotted line as x of said Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse Vertical sectional elevation through the cups G and H. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cup H.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the cam way F.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. i

In the drawings, A represents astandard, pedestal, or other supporting device, which may be of any convenient construction, extensible or otherwise, and which is adapted to support the adj ustable containing rack or case. The rack itselt'conveniently consists ofa light metallic case or frame, B, conveniently made of wire. which is of depth sufficient to contain a book, manuscript, or other copymatter of any ordinary thickness.

The case is represented as conveniently made of an edge rail, 1), of wire, which is conveniently supported upon curved bands or straps I) of sheet metal, and is provided with a central band, I), through the medium of which the case as a whole is secured to the pedestal, preferably in a manner hereinafter d scribed.

O is a hinged cover containing glass 0 or other transparent medium. The hinges O secure the cover to the case, and a spring catch,

0, applied opposite to the hinges, holds the cover down in place upon the case and copy- 7c matter.

\Vithin the case is placed a movable back board, which I for convenience term the follower D, which is cheaply made. of the skeleton form represented in Fig. 1, and which conveniently rests upon springs E, conveniently fastencdin cups I)", formed in or applied to the back or curved bands of the'case. The follower, as mounted upon the springs, is adapted to form a backing to retain the book, manuscript, or matter to be copied or read, be its thickness what it may, against the glass cover, and at the same time leave such matter clearly opento the sight.

The construction of the case, its cover, and the follower may, if desired, be modified-and I have simply described and represented convenient constructions-for it is evidently immaterial whether the case be made as a wire skeleton or as a closed device, or whether the 0 follower be made in one. two, or more parts, or be supported upon spiral. elliptic, or other springs, or upon rubber or other compressible cushions.

It being important to apply the case, as a 3 whole, adjustably, both as to its inclination. as to its vertical set, and as to its capability for rotation upon the standard, I resort to the following as achcap and convenient mode of application: The standard A is conveniently roo telescopic,so as to permit of vertical extension, and at its upper extremity it is provided with two cups telescopically together. The inverted is entered within said sloth.

. way beneath the cup G.

cup H is provided with acircumferential slot, h, provided with notches h", and from the inner face of the cup G projects a stud, g, which By this means the two cups are connected, so that the cup G, which carries the case or frame, can be rotated with respect to the cup H,which is connected by the stem I with the standard, such rotation being possible by virtue of the stud, notched slot-,and spring, by drawing the cups apart and so expandingthe spring, in a manner which will be obvious to any mechanic. The result of the foregoing device is that the case, as an entirety, can be rotated with respect to the standard and disposed either in the position represented in the drawings or in another position in which itslongerside stands vertically.

The entire case can, by reason of its stem and the cups G and H, be rotated with respect to the standard, and by the rotation of the cam- The case, with the work to be copied, can be inclined to any desirable angle to suit the light or sight of the copyist. Instead of employing the horizontal camway, it is obvious that the camway may be arranged vertically and operate direct against the back of the case, and also obvious that the telescopic cups may be of other forms or be replaced by any convenient pivoting device to permit of the rotation of the case.

K is a gage or liner, being a straight strip, a strip slotted longitudinally, a bent wire, or other similar device, which is suspended by a flexible spring-tape or other cord or strap, is, over the glass of the cover of the case. this lineris intended to indicate the line to becopied, it is important that it should be capable of being moved up and down with respect to the cover and readily and quickly drawn out of the way when not in use.

This is accomplished by winding the flexible spring-tape on a suitable pulley or similar devicesuch, for instance,as the spring-controlled pulley It, contained in a removable case, If. The shaft of the pulley k is preferably provided either inside or outside with a ratchet-wheel, k, which is controlled by aspring-pawl applied to the case W. This entire contrivance is one of convenience, and itlmay be omitted; or, if desired, the means of supporting the gage by a band adapted to be wound on a pulley may be modified, and the gage be supported at the sides of the case or. frame B in such manner as convenince of manufacture may dictate.

Having thus described myiuvention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of the rotatable case, the transparent 'cover thereof, and the springsupported movable follower or back board in said case, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the rotatable case,

port, and means for so connecting the case to the support that the-case can be adj ustedvertically orinclined, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the rotatable case, the transparent cover, the follower, the springs for controlling the action of the follower, and the rotating camway, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the case provided with the fixed cup, the inverted cup, the spiral spring connecting said cups, the rotatable stem, and the standard, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the standard pro vided with the camway, the case, the telescopic cup, and the stem, substantially as de scribed.

7. The combination of the case, the stem hinged thereto, the hollow standard, and the camway mounted upon said standard, substantially as described.

8. In combination with the case provided with the transparent cover, the gage orliner, and means for adjusting the set of said gage or liner, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

9. The combination of the case provided with the transparent cover, the spring-controlled follower, the gage or liner, the support, and means for securing'both the vertical adustment of said case with respect to said sup-. port and its inclination'with respect thereto, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofl have hereunto signed my name this 4th day of May, A. D. 1885.

SAMUEL B. OOSTEN.

In presence of- JOSEPH OBRIEN, FRANK E. RYAN. 

